Collapsible trousers-support.



N. KNUTH.

GOLLAPSIBLE TROUSERS SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 30, 190B.

Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

Illlllllll m lill!" NICK KNU'IH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE TROUSERS-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 30, 1908.

Patented April 6, 1909.

Serial No. 424,012.

To all who/m. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nici; lin' U'rn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Trousers-Supports 5 and I do here by declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description oi the same, rei'erencc being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters oi reference marked thereon., which form a part of this speciiication.

Travelers and many others iind it inconvenient to carry or store various forms oi' garment stretchers and supports which are convenient and necessary for the proper care and preservation of articles ot apparel. This is particularly true with trousers supports and in the case of travelers, owing to the fact that such articles having usually been of considerable size and occupying considerable space in the trunk or grip, it is often incon vcnient to carry sutlicient hangers or supports to keep the clothing` in proper order.

The object of this invention is to afford an exceedingly cheap, simple and durable trousers hanger or support, which, when not in use, is capable of being folded or collapsed into exceedingly small space to permit ol' a number' of the same being readily packed in the grip with the clothing and opened out or extended and ready for instant application when the garments are unpacked.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a device oi the class described adapted to be constructed wholly of stamped sheet metal, thus rendering the same exceedingly light as well as adapting the same to occupy small space.

The invention consists in the matters hereinaiter described and more fully pointed out and delined in the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation showing the hanger or support 'fully opened out or extended. Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the hanger collapsed or Yfolded together. Fig. 4 is a top plan view oi the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken through one of the hinge oints. Fig. 6 is a similar view taken through the other hinge joint. Fig. 7 is a detail taken through the hinge joint and illustrating the method of securing the supporting hook in place. Fig. 8 is an inner or face view of the same joint. Fig. 9 is an inner or 'face view of the joint in the opposite side or arm of the hanger.

As shown in the drawings: the hanger consists of parallel arms or plates o'l a length greater than the width o i the trousers at the bottom of the leg, and are each constructed in two sections jointed in the middle. For

this purpose, as shown, a strap of sheet metal conveniently steel, ot' suitable length, width and gage, is bent centrally to aliord the rounded loo J or eye bend A, trom which the two paralle arms (Lf-av to near their extremities extend in close relation with each other, and near their ends are bent slightly outward or o'lset as shown at (t2-a3, and each of the same is provided with a central rivet aperture and in both, as shown, on the upper side is provided a semi-circular slot, concentric with the rivet aperture. Pivotally engaged on said end of each of said arms a-a, is a corresponding arm B-B. These are approximately equal in length to the arms already described and are engaged thereto by means of rivets bt, which. extend through the rivet apertures in each and a'tliord the pintle Vfor the hinge joint. At a point opposite the groove in the arm. afa respectively, the metal of the arms B-B is pressed inwardly to aiiord a short cylindric projection b2, which fits in the slot in the complemental arm and limits the movement of one arm relatively the other to 180, in other words, permits the arms to be folded together as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or permits the same to be extended as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Figs. S and 9. Secured also on the rivet or pintle t', is the hook O. This, as shown, is also constructed of stamped metal and is shaped to iit to the central bend in each of said arms and at its top is provided with a bend c2, to permit the same to engage the support. As shown the arm B', at its hinged end is provided with a slot concentric with the rivet aperture extending for 900 and the hook is provided with a punched or pressed projection c3, similar to the punched or pressed projection b2 before described, which nts into the said quadrant slot, as shown in Fig. 7, thereby permitting the hook to be swung upwardly as shown in Fig. l perpendicularly to the extended arms or to be swung downwardly, as shown in Figs. 8 and 4, to lie parallel therewith. At their tree ends, said arms are provided respectively, one with an outer somewhat abrupt bend b4, which acts as a stop for the clasp D, slidably engaged on said arms, the other ot' said arms being ing the pressure.

curved outwardly to afford a catch b5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, to be engaged by the clasp. The clasp D, may be constructed in any suitable manner. As shown, however, it comprises a strip conveniently of sheet metal bent to engage around the arm B, affording a loop d therearound and from the bottom of said loop extends outwardly afe fording a somewhat resilient hook or clasp (Z2, which engages around the arm B.

The operation is as follows: With the hanger extended as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arms are substantially parallel for their entire length, and are connected at one end by a strong spring A, and at the other end are connected by the slidable loop or clasp D, and may be supported on the hook as before described. W hen the clasp is sprung outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, the parallel sides are sprung inwardly therebetween, the

bottom of the trousers legs, which have been placed in the same, owing to the sides of the clasp engaging on the incline of the arm B', are frictionally retained in place, maintain- When it is desired to release the trousers from the hanger, the clasp D is pressed inwardly, permitting the arms to instantly diverge under the action of the spring A, and permitting the trousers to be readily withdrawn therefrom. The hanger may now be closed by turning the looped end of the hanger or spring end A, upwardly and inwardly between the arms B-B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the hook is turned down parallel the same while the clasp D confines the entire structure into small space by preventing undue divergence of the arms, owing to their own resiliency and the outward tendency of the action of the spring A. ln this form the hanger occupies but very small space indeed, and can be very conveniently carried in the vest pocket to be instantly applied to use when desired.

Of course, several different forms of the construction are possible. I therefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

l claim as my invention:

A portable trousers hanger embracing parallel resilient arms, an integral spring connecting the same, said arms being constructed each in two parts, a slidable clasp for engaging the otherwise free ends together, a hook engaged at the joint of one pair of arms, each arm provided with a slot and integral projections, one projection eX- tending from one arm into the slot in the other arm and one projection extending from the hook into the slot in the adjacent subscribing witnesses. Y

NICK KNUTH.

litnesses K. E. HANNAH, LAWRENCE REiBsTEIN. 

